The one thing I took from the Cubs’ 1-0 win against division leading Milwaukee Monday night was the team’s collective effort to win.

Ryan Dempster pitched like an ace. The bullpen did its job and Pena was clutch off the bench.

We haven’t seen that kind of team effort enough this season, which certainly helps explain the Cubs’ second worst record in the NL.

But Chicago scratching and clawing its way to victory reminded me of the way this team played under Mike Quade last September–with passion, with desire, with purpose.

It shows the Cubs are still willing to fight for its manager despite a terrible record highlighted by the recent 2-8 road trip. And it shows the effort to win is still present even when all is seemingly lost.

The curious part, however, is that the Cubs have thrived under Quade when all the pressure is off. So what gives when the pressure is on?